2016 College Women of the Year: Bernadette Lim

"It started with a class assignment: Find a pressing social issue that women and girls face in Boston and try to solve it. But when I started researching, I came up empty-handed. The city had no comprehensive report on women and girls. Without this information nonprofits and government groups have no idea what to fund or which programs work. Over two years, with the help of 20 fellow students, I gathered that data. We uncovered alarming trends: For instance, 16 percent of Boston high school girls have considered suicide. The results were the first Report on the Status of Women and Girls in Boston. Always remember: If someone doubts you, maintain a childlike curiosity; it'll get you through hard times."

—Lim, a human evolutionary biology major, is at work on the next version of her report; she is also cofounder of Women Speak, a network of college women who mentor high school girls.